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In line with a recent study of the pharmacological potential of bioinspired synthetic acetylenic lipids, after identification of the terminal dialkynylcarbinol (DAC) and butadiynyl alkynylcarbinol (BAC) moieties as functional antitumor pharmacophoric units, this work specifically addresses the issue of carbon backbone length. A systematic variation of the aliphatic chain length was thus carried out in both the DAC and BAC series. The critical impact of the length of the lipidic skeleton was first confirmed in the racemic series, with the highest cytotoxic activity observed for C to C backbones. Enantiomerically enriched samples were prepared by asymmetric synthesis of the optimal C DAC and C BAC derivatives. Samples with upgraded enantiomeric purity were alternatively produced by enzymatic kinetic resolution. Eutomers possessing the S configuration displayed cytotoxicity IC values as low as 15 nm against HCT116 cancer cells, the highest level of activity reached to date in this series.

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Among acetylenic natural products, chiral lipidic alkynylcarbinol (LAC) metabolites, mostly extracted from marine sponges, have revealed a broad spectrum of biological activities, in particular, remarkable antitumor cytotoxicity. With reference to one of the simplest natural representatives, [(S)-eicos-(4E)-en-1-yn-3-ol], and a given cancer cell line (HCT116), combined extensive efforts in chemical synthesis (relying on the use of a large chemical toolbox) and biological analysis (in vitro tests), have provided systematic structure–activity relationships (SARs) where the initially selected four structural parameters appear as independent principal components: (i) and (ii) the sp/sp2 content and extent of the terminal and internal unsaturations adjacent to the carbinol center, (iii) the absolute configuration of the latter, (iv) the length of the n-aliphatic backbone. Two key criteria have also been established regarding the functional alkynylcarbinol pharmacophore: the alkynylcarbinol unit must be both secondary and terminal (i.e., substituted by a short ethynyl or ethenyl C2 group). This review is intended to provide a further illustration of the value of a simple rational approach for drug design, and to act as a benchmark for future optimization of LACs as antitumor agents.1 Introduction2 2C2-Unsaturated Pharmacophore Candidates2.1 Alkenylalkynylcarbinols (AACs)2.2 Dialkynylcarbinols (DACs or DACys)2.3 Alkynylalkenylcarbinols (iso-AACs) and Dialkenylcarbinols (DACes)2.4 Oxidation-Protected Dialkynylcarbinols and Dialkynylketones2.5 Fluorophore-Labeled Lipidic Dialkynylcarbinols3 C2/C3-Unsaturated Pharmacophore Candidates3.1 Cyclopropylalkynylcarbinols (CACs)3.2 Allenylalkynylcarbinols (AllACs)4 C2/C4- and 3C2-Unsaturated Pharmacophore Candidates4.1 Butadiynylalkynylcarbinols (BACs)4.2 Trialkynylcarbinols (TACs)5 Double-AC-Headed Pharmacophore Candidates6 Screening on the Lipidic Chain Length7 Conclusion

Bidirectional syntheses of C2-symmetrical lipids embedding two terminal alkynylcarbinol pharmacophores are reported. Naturally occurring chiral alkenylalkynylcarbinol units were generated using Pu's procedure for enantioselective addition of terminal alkynes to aldehydes, allowing the first asymmetric synthesis of (3R,4E,16E,18R)-icosa-4,16-diene-1,19-diyne-3,18-diol, isolated from Callyspongia pseudoreticulata. Two synthetic analogues embedding the recently uncovered (S)-dialkynylcarbinol pharmacophore were secured using Carreira's procedure adapted to ynal substrates. The dramatic effect of the carbinol configuration on cytotoxicity was confirmed with submicromolar IC50 values against HCT116 cells.

The title compound, characterized by X‐ray crystallography, was accessed in 4 steps with 92 % ee. and 25 % yield from an O‐protected (R)‐BINOL precursor. This revised synthetic route relied on a chlorosulfonylation reaction, as a shortcut to a previously developed sequence requiring the use of toxic SO2 gas and bromine. The strongly electron‐impoverished (R)‐6,6′‐Tf2‐BINOL proved an effective ligand in metal‐catalyzed enantioselective transformations such as a Zr‐based Mannich‐type reaction. The catalytic species was characterized by X‐ray crystallography as a unique tetrameric metal cluster. The 6,6′‐bistriflone groups also allowed to exalt the H‐bond donor capacity of the BINOL moiety, as illustrated in an organocatalyzed Morita‐Baylis‐Hillman transformation. Theoretical study indicated that the 6,6′‐bistriflone groups induce a drop of the phenol acidity of 5 pKa units in DMSO. Overall, this work simplified the access, completed the characterization, and confirmed the potential of (R)‐6,6′‐Tf2‐BINOL as a promising platform to further elaborate activated chiral metal ligands or organocatalysts.

Lipidic alkynylcarbinols (LACs) have been identified as potential antitumor compounds, and a thorough understanding of their pharmacophoric environment is now required to elucidate their biological mode of action. In the dialkynylcarbinol (DAC) series, a specific study of the pharmacophore potential has been undertaken by focusing on the synthesis of three fluorinated derivatives followed by their biological evaluation. This work highlights the requirement of an electron-rich secondary carbinol center as a key structure for cytotoxicity in HCT116 cells.